Several systems have attempted to deal with issues of fire suppression of object due to electrical fires and lithium-ion battery fires in particular. In the aircraft industry, fires that may occur in flight can be very dangerous. Many consumer electrical devices are present onboard the aircraft, including cell phones, computers, card scanners, etc., that utilize lithium batteries, and such batteries if damaged may catch on fire. A lithium battery exhibiting thermal runaway must be disposed of properly to avoid further complications, and often times, onboard an aircraft in flight, proper disposal may be difficult.
Devices exist for attempting to suppress fires and in particular electrical or chemical fires in which water or typical fire extinguishers are insufficient, that include a volume sufficient to contain the electrical device and a covers for containing the fire within the device preventing spread of the fire. However, many of existing devices do not contemplate a thermal runaway reaction or a resulting fire that will continue, but rather are focused on isolating the dangerous condition.
What is needed is a method for handling a fire, such as a consumer electronics lithium ion battery fire, in a cabin of an aircraft during flight.